Exclusive: Bobby Wales urged to stay at Kilmarnock by Steven Naismith
The former striker has warned his fellow Killie academy graduate about the risks involved with leaving the club too soon.
Steven Naismith has urged Bobby Wales to stay at Kilmarnock by signing a new contract.
Alongside Kris Boyd, the former striker is regarded as one of Killie’s most successful youth products, so he is well-qualified to speak about the situation the 19-year-old is in.
Wales is out of contract at the end of the season and is free to speak to other interested parties about a pre-contract agreement. Killie would be entitled to a compensation fee if he were to leave for their part in his development.
The frontman has five goals in 26 appearances across all competitions for Derek McInnes’ side. However, he has only established himself as a regular in the starting XI in the last couple of months.
Wales follows in Naismith’s footsteps 18 years on from the former Scotland international’s £2m move to Rangers - which remains Killie’s record transfer sale.
Naisy believes the best place for him to flourish is at home in Ayrshire, as he warned of the risks involved with leaving the club too soon.
“As I was one of the young players to come through Kilmarnock’s academy, over the years you particularly look out for the younger ones that are coming through,” the 38-year-old exclusively told the Killie Chronicle.
“David Watson has probably been the highest one you’d look at, but then obviously you had Matty Kennedy when he first broke through and Bobby is another one. Innes Cameron and Rory McKenzie as well.
“I’ve certainly watched all of them and have taken an interest as I’m a local person.
“With Bobby, once you see a young player coming through, having gone through it, it’s really easy to make a quick judgment. We’re in an era where, unfortunately, that’s the way it is.
“When he was younger, you could see that he had ability but I wouldn’t have said at that point that I was really thinking he could go on to become a regular, although that was very early on.
“Him going on loan made a noticeable difference. That decision by him for himself is another aspect that I like about him. He wasn’t happy to say ‘I’m a Kilmarnock player, I’m doing to be a Kilmarnock player and I don’t want to go out of my comfort zone’. He was willing to do that and by doing that, he got the rewards of it.